Burger King starts roll out of ‘urban box-style’ concept, opening more sites in ‘traditional casual dining slots’: Burger King UK has begun the roll out of its fledgling “urban box-style” format, and chief executive Alasdair Murdoch told Propel it could look to open “ten-20 a year across the whole system”. The business, which is eyeing an additional 200 restaurants in the UK over the next four years, launched a trial of the new smaller concept earlier this year in Norwich, and has opened a second site under the format in Sutton, on a former bank, this week. Propel revealed last year the brand planned to launch the new format site in Norwich’s Brigg Street, featuring less than ten covers. The brand is looking to open 800 to 1,200 square-foot sites under the format, which will have a rent of sub-£50,000 and provide a strong delivery sales mix. It is thought it will focus on secondary high street locations as it looks to fill in geographical gaps in its current nationwide estate. Murdoch said: “Norwich is trading above expectations, and we have high hopes here (Sutton) too. I would guess we will open ten-20 of these a year across the whole system.” Murdoch said the brand was also beginning to open in, “what was traditionally casual dining slots on retail and leisure parks”. As an example of this, it recently opened in Whiteleys shopping centre in Fareham, on a former PizzaExpress. Murdoch told Propel last month: “We were seen as a tired, old, irrelevant brand, but we’ve remodelled a lot and improved that kind of perception, which will also allow us to unlock a load of growth. I said about opening 50 sites a year, which we are, but we think there’s a lot more opportunity out there, with clear headroom for site growth.”

 

Panel session on state of property market to be held at final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2022, three free places per company for operators: A panel session on the state of the property market will be held at the final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2022, which takes place on Thursday, 10 November, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London, and is open for bookings. The all-day conference will focus on “new ways of working”. Fleet Street managing director Mark Stretton will lead the panel session featuring Stephen Owens, managing director – pubs and restaurants at Christie & Co; Jon Lake, managing director of Chopstix; Richard Boon, founder and managing director of Hub Box and Popeyes property director Tom Byng. Operators can book up to three free places per company by emailing jo.charity@propelinfo.com.

Updated Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies released today at midday, 60 businesses being added: A total of 60 new multi-site companies, operating 520 sites, have been added to the next edition of the Propel Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies, which will be released today (Friday, 30 September), at midday. The updated Propel Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate, includes regional bar and restaurant operators, expanding hotel companies, and growing entertainment concepts. Premium subscribers will also receive a 4,100-word report on the new additions to the database. The comprehensive database is updated monthly and provides company names, the people in charge, how many sites each firm operates, its trading name and its registered name at Companies House if different. The database now features 2,676 companies. Premium subscribers will also receive the next edition of the New Openings Database on Friday, 7 October, at midday. It focuses on newly announced openings and upcoming launches in the sector and is updated every month. The next edition also includes a 13,000-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium subscribers also receive access to the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which is produced in association with Mapal Group, and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £895 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £445 plus VAT for operators and £545 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription. Subscribers also receive access to Propel’s library of lockdown videos and Friday Wrap interviews and now also have access to a curated video library of the sector’s finest leaders and entrepreneurs, offering their insights on running outstanding businesses in the sector. Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before our 6am send-out; regular video content and regular exclusive columns from Propel group editor Mark Wingett.

Research shows calorie labelling on menus has changed people’s dining out choices: Calorie labelling on menus has changed people’s dining out choices, research from CGA by NielsenIQ shows. Six months after the government introduced mandatory calorie labelling for businesses with more than 250 employees, the study reveals that half of consumers (49%) would change their food selection if they felt the menu showed it was too calorific. Furthermore, nearly two in three of those would switch if their dish contained more than 1,000 calories. Two in five think the labelling is a positive step to improving the nation’s health, but more than a third think they will have a negative impact on people with eating disorders. Consumers are similarly split on their views of calories as a choice factor – between those who sometimes or almost always track them (46%) and those who rarely or never monitor them (54%). Consumers aged 18 to 34 are nearly twice as likely to pay attention to calorie information than those aged 55 or over, with (15%) of 18 to 34-year-olds now following a calorie-controlled diet, compared to just 8% of those aged over 55. Consumers who would change menu choices because of high calories are much more likely to choose another dish (48%) than get a smaller portion (33%), and when tracking calories and reducing courses, similar numbers say they would prioritise a starter (39%) or dessert (36%) to go with their main. Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “Our report shows how crucial it is for suppliers and operators to understand the ways calorie labelling affects consumers’ decision-making. Venues need to find the right range of low-calorie food and drink options to appeal to those who watch their calories carefully, without compromising choices for those who have no interest in doing so. Menu design and communications, both physical and digital, are crucial too, and suppliers have a big role to play in supporting operators’ strategies.”

 

Barworks senior ops team duo depart to launch pub business, plan ten-plus sites in London within five years: Mike Harrington and Lee Godwin, who have been part of the senior operations team at London bar group Barworks since 2015, are to leave the company today (Friday, 30 September) to launch their own pub business, Breaking Glass Bars. While there are no firm sites in the pipeline as yet, the duo plan to establish core sites in London, before looking outside the capital to expand and are actively looking for properties. With investment, they plan to grow the group to ten-plus outlets within five years. While the business intends to concentrate on east London to begin with, Godwin told Propel it was open to opportunities across the capital, “providing the site is right”. Breaking Glass Bars plans to focus on “modern interpretations on the traditional British pub using our combined experience to provide outstanding service, the best in quality and provenance in an accessible and relaxed environment”. Harrington has been part of the operations team since 2013, becoming head of operations in 2015, and then operations director in 2017. Godwin has been senior operations manager since 2015, and together they oversaw the expansion of the group from six sites to a peak of 19, before the business sold 13 venues to Urban Pubs & Bars in December 2021. Throughout that time, they drove the company’s ethos, systems, products and offer and oversaw a culture that recruited all general managers from within the company thanks to a successful career development programme. Barworks managing director Marc Francis-Baum will be taking on operational responsibilities while Barworks expands with three new sites in the pipeline.

Creams to open in Tesco stores with new partnership: Dessert parlour operator Creams has partnered with Tesco, which will see it opening in two of the supermarket group’s stores. The first cafe to open will be in Tesco Extra, Streatham, south London, in November, with another to be confirmed shortly. The Creams site in the Tesco Extra in Streatham High Road will accommodate up to 58 covers within a 214 square-metre space. It will feature a gelato counter dispensing 24 flavours as well as milkshakes, waffles, crepes, sundaes and cookie dough. The site will also offer Creams’ exclusive blend of coffee, ground and roasted in the UK, served alongside its custom-made cakes and doughnuts. Othman Shoukat, managing director of Creams, said: “This agreement signals a significant moment for Creams, as we look to further grow our 100-restaurant estate and this exciting partnership is an opportunity for us to extend our reach while reaffirming our position as the UK’s favourite dessert restaurant brand.”

Chaiiwala set to make drive-thru debut: Street food cafe franchise Chaiiwala, which earlier this month unveiled ambitious plans to open hundreds of new UK outlets and expand internationally, is set to open its first drive-thru site, Propel understands. Chaiiwala is set to open the new site, which is believed will be near Watford, in partnership with the EG Group, the owner of Leon. Chaiiwala co-founder Sohail Ali said the drive-thru site would be “our first of many drive-thru format [sites] with our partners EG Group”. The brand recently opened its 64th site in the UK, in London’s Kilburn, its fourth opening this month. Chaiiwala has committed to opening 60 new premises next year and intends to create 500 UK outlets overall. The business said it is also looking to expand into the US, Canada, the Middle East and Europe after experiencing a period of rapid growth. To facilitate its expansion plans, Chaiiwala recently named Abdul Piranie and Simon Hooper as its new chief financial officer and international business director respectively. Chaiiwala started in Delhi in 1927 before branching out into the UK with an opening in Leicester four years ago and spreading rapidly through a franchise model.

Incipio Group reports record year despite only trading for eight months: Incipio Group, operator of venues including Pergola on the Wharf, The Prince and Lost in Brixton, has reported record revenue and earnings for 2021. Reporting on the period to 26 December 2021, the group saw an increase in revenue of 127.6% to £14.99m, up from £6.59m the previous year. This represented a 9.6% increase on 2019 pre-covid revenue of £13.67m, despite the group only trading from 12 April 2021. Ebitda grew to £1.88m (2020: minus £959,000, 2019: £1.3m), representing a “record high for the group”. Within the year the group arranged an additional £1.2m loan utilising the Coronavirus Business Interruption loan Scheme, through Metrobank. Chief executive Ed Devenport told Propel: “Despite the covid-19 restrictions meaning we could only trade for about eight months of the year we were pleased to see our sites bouncing back strongly and outperforming 2019. We were able to open a new site during 2021, Pergola on the Wharf, which exceeded our trading expectations and meant we were able to continue our growth plans into 2022 with the launch of Dear Grace, The Palm House and The Libertine.” The company opened The Palm House in Victoria’s Nova scheme this week, and will launch The Libertine, located in The Royal Exchange in the City, next month.

Rosa’s Thai secures Nottingham site: Rosa’s Thai, which is backed by TriSpan, is set to open a site in Nottingham, before the end of the year. Propel understands Rosa’s Thai, which operates 30 sites, has secured the ex-Loch Fyne site in the city’s King Street, with work on the site set to start next month. Earlier this month, the Gavin Adair-led business opened on the former Fielders retail unit at 54 Wimbledon Hill Road. The company, which was founded in 2007 by Alex and Saiphin Moore, also operates two delivery-only kitchens in London, in Dulwich and Blackwall. The Wimbledon launch followed openings earlier this year in Cardiff, York and London’s King’s Cross. Propel also revealed in April that Rosa’s Thai is set to take a unit at the Jackson’s Corner scheme in Reading. Richard Negus, of AG&G, acted on the Nottingham deal.

Just Eat Takeaway promotes Andrew Kenny to CCO, seeks new UK MD: Just Eat Takeaway has promoted former managing director Andrew Kenny to chief commercial officer and is now seeking a new UK managing director. Kenny, who has been with the company for five years, is also a member of the executive management team and most recently successfully stepped into the position of interim chief operating officer. Jorg Gerbig has also been reappointed as chief operating officer. Both he and Kenny will join chief executive Jitse Groen and chief financial officer Brent Wissink on the Just Eat Takeaway management board. Dick Boer has also been made chair of the supervisory board, joining alongside Mieke De Schepper, while a final position on the board, which will be a female supervisory director, is being sought.

New Parogon finance director looks to reposition group to face industry challenges: New Parogon finance director Simon Wright says he is looking to reposition the group to face the challenges affecting the industry head on. Propel revealed in April that the Staffordshire pub group had brought the former head of finance at Hawthorn, Marston’s and Stonegate into the role as it looks to double its nine-strong portfolio over the next three years. Wright has now officially started with Parogon, working on “unlocking extra capital to drive further growth and execution of new ideas”, as well as bringing all its financial processes in house, and installing a new platform that will “provide an efficient foundation for Parogon’s core financials to scale up on”. He said: “I’m looking forward to getting stuck into my new role at Parogon. The next 12 months will certainly bring the whole sector a few challenges to navigate, and while there is sure to be some changes in consumer behaviour, there will always be demand for great food and drink experiences. Repositioning the business to face into that environment, which could last a reasonable length of time, is going to be the key objective in the near term.” Having worked with national brands including Toby Carvery and Harvester in two years as an operations analyst at Mitchells & Butlers, Wright was part of the initial team that helped get Stonegate Group set up in 2010. He has also led the commercial finance function for the destination food division at Marston’s, and most recently worked with Hawthorn on several pub acquisition packages, the exploration of an IPO and the subsequent sale of the business to Admiral Taverns.

Ole & Steen lines up London Wall opening, gears up for Guildford launch: Danish baker Ole & Steen is set to further add to its openings pipeline in London, with a site in the City. The 21-strong business is understood to have lined up an opening at 60 London Wall. It comes as the business gears up to open a further regional site in Guildford High Street. The business, which is working with RAB Retail on its expansion plans, is understood to be seeking sites in Beaconsfield, Gerrard’s Cross, Wokingham, Reigate, Godalming and Farnham. It has also been linked with openings in London’s One New Change, Blackheath, Greenwich and Kingston as well as Marlow and Henley.

Said Takhamt steps down as Pure COO: Said Takhamt has stepped down as chief operating officer at healthy food-to-go group Pure, after three years in the role. Takhamt, who was previously at Pret A Manger, Itsu, EAT and Cojean, took up the newly created role at the 18-strong Pure, which also operates two delivery kitchens, in September 2019, with responsibility for all recruitment, learning, training and development. Takhamt began his career as general manager at Pret A Manger, working his way up to international head of operations focusing initially on the London business and then across the UK, France and the US. He oversaw Pret’s expansion into airports, seeing it flourish at Stansted, Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and Gatwick among others. While at Itsu he led expansion across new territories in cafes, regional stores and airport businesses, while his EAT experience involved leading the rebrand strategy and rebuilding the operational business model.

Street Greek to open in Wimbledon: Street Greek, the London fast-casual concept, is set to further increase its presence in the capital, with an opening in Wimbledon. Propel understands the Kristina Koncova-led business has secured the ex-Dip & Flip site in The Broadway for an opening later this year, for what will be its fifth site. Earlier this year, the company opened new sites in Artillery Lane, Bishopsgate, and Upper Street, Islington. The business, which was launched in 2019 in Covent Garden, opened a site in Hawley Wharf Market, Camden, at the end of last year. Marc Rogers, of MKR Property, acted on the Wimbledon deal for Street Greek and Nick Fisher, of Fleurets, for Dip & Flip. 

Tipjar closes funding round after raising almost £1.5m: Cashless tipping platform Tipjar has closed its latest funding round after raising almost £1.5m. Tipjar, founded by BrewDog managing director James Brown and backed by Monzo’s Gary Dolman and Honest Burger co-founders Phil Eeles and Tom Barton, exceeded its original funding target of £400,000 within hours of going live earlier this month. It has now closed the campaign on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube having raised £1,451,521 from 666 investors, including a £500,000 investment from a single angel investor. The company was offering 11.21% equity, giving a pre-money valuation of £11m. Tipjar has so far launched in more than 2,000 venues across five countries, processing in excess of £4m in tips to 200,000 workers. It plans to use the funds raised to aid further growth and provide its users with a neo-bank style system, which can provide them with pre-paid bank cards, savings pots and small loans.

Roseacre Inns acquires eighth site: Midlands pub company Roseacre Inns has acquired its eight site after taking its fifth lease with Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars. Roseacre will operate The Axe & Square in Countesthorpe, which following a two-and-a-half-year closure is receiving a £650,000 joint investment. The pub is set to reopen in early December, creating 30 jobs. The extensive overhaul will transform the pub’s exterior, including the addition of an 80-seater garden at the rear. The pub will also be extended into an outbuilding, doubling its size. It will have 110 covers spread over a bar area, a spacious dining room and a snug. The kitchen will be refitted, offering dishes ranging from pub classics and Sunday roasts to à la carte specials. An extensive premium drinks offer will complement the food while there will also be a barista-style coffee machine. Roseacre founder Michael Thomas said: “I’ve been in the industry for 40 years and seen good pubs prosper through all the ups and downs. We’ll continue to expand in the Midlands if the right sites are available. We specialise in large middle-market suburban dining pubs and, in my experience, they’re resilient even when times are tough. If you serve good food and drink in a nice environment people will always want to come out, socialise and forget their cares for a few hours.” Roseacre’s other pubs with Star are the Dovecote in Narborough, The Beeches in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, The Beacon Hotel in Burton-on-Trent and The Heathcote in Leamington Spa. It also operates The Waterside Inn in Mountsorrel, The Lime Tree in Whetstone and The Bull in Broughon Astley. 

Former Fourth CEO joins Nutritics as non-executive director: Ben Hood, who spent 20 years as chief executive at global software provider Fourth, has joined foodservice technology company Nutritics as non-executive director. In his new role, Hood will provide guidance and counsel to Nutritics' founders, Ciaran and Damian O’Kelly, and its executive team, led by managing director Stephen Nolan, as it helps hospitality companies unlock the hidden value of food data. Hood, who prior to joining Fourth held several roles at Tesco, joins as Nutritics launches Foodprint, a software solution allowing operators to calculate the carbon impact of individual menu items and share it with guests in real time. Hood said: “After getting to know the Nutritics team and business as a whole, I have naturally wanted to be involved more on its remarkable technology journey.”

Former Noma chef confirms November opening for new site for Nigerian concept Ikoyi: Former Noma chef Jeremy Chan has confirmed that Ikoyi, the Nigerian concept he originally founded as a pop-up, will open in its new permanent site in November. Propel reported in June that the site Chan and business partner Iré Hassan-Odukale moved Ikoyi to in 2017, in the St James’s Market development off Regent Street, had been put up for sale. It will now reopen at 180 The Strand in late November, with last orders at St James’s at the end of October. The pair said: “We are excited to share the news with you that Ikoyi will be moving to a new home at 180 Strand in November 2022. The space we have designed will allow us the chance to fully express our interpretation of seasonality through bold heat and intensify the techniques we have worked on for the past five years. Our last evening at our original site in St James’s will take place on Wednesday, 26 October. Nothing we have done would have been possible without the special relationships we have built over the years, including with our landlord, our former and current team members, our suppliers and above all, our guests.”

Club Mexicana confirms Spitalfields opening: Club Mexicana, the vegan restaurant concept that offers Mexican and Californian-inspired street food, has confirmed it will open a new site in London’s Spitalfields, in November. The Edition Capital-backed business will open on the former HotBox site in Commercial Street, for its third site. The concept, which first started as a sold-out supper club in east London in 2014, will open a new 70-seater restaurant in the listed building and former gallery. The new restaurant, which will join the brand’s other sites in Kingly Court and Seven Dials, will feature a “bigger plant-powered menu than ever before”. Founder Meriel Armitage said: “We've had such an incredible journey since our Hackney supper club and street food beginnings. Obviously, the last few years have been a wild ride too, so I'm excited about being able to just get back to slinging tacos! Our new restaurant in Spitalfields is a natural next step up from our first brick-and-mortar site in Kingly Court, as it allows us to go bigger than ever before and flex our taco-making muscles, serving up even more dishes and drinks with our unique, colourful Club Mexicana character.” Nick Garston, of the Found Agency, acted on the Commercial Street deal.

Gong Cha to open 11th UK site with Leeds launch: Gong Cha, one of the world’s fastest-growing bubble tea brands, will open its 11th UK site, in Leeds this weekend. The outlet at the Merrion Centre in the Leeds’ Arena Quarter will mark the debut Yorkshire site for the brand. Co-owned by the Kazumi Group and backed by food and beverage investors, Gong Cha was founded in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 2006 and has grown to 1,600 outlets worldwide. The brand, which is headquartered in the UK, sells authentic bubble tea from Taiwan. Amjad Khan, Gong Cha co-owner, said: “We’ve had many Leeds residents visit us in our other UK stores asking when we are opening in the city, so it’s a pleasure to finally realise this.”

Thornbridge founders among group that saves Sheffield’s oldest independent brewery from closure: Kelham Island Brewery, 

Sheffield’s oldest independent brewery, has been saved from closure by a group from the city. The brewery’s rescue is a collaboration between Tramlines co-founder and Sheffield venue owner James O’Hara; his brother and financial analyst Tom; Simon Webster and Jim Harrison, founders of Derbyshire brewery Thornbridge; Peter Donohoe, founder of Sheffield based creative studio Peter and Paul; and Ben Rymer, marketing manager from beer festival organisers, We Are Beer. Kelham Island Brewery has played a significant role in Sheffield’s brewing history and heritage. The brewery was founded in 1990 in the beer garden of the Fat Cat pub by Dave Wickett and was the first new independent brewery in Sheffield for more 100 years. The brewery ceased trading in May as the pandemic took its toll on the business. Webster said: “Kelham Island Brewery has always been linked with Thornbridge. It was the reason we started the business. It was the first beer we brewed and Dave was a guiding hand in the early days of Thornbridge. We’re looking forward to brewing the beer and keeping Kelham Island Brewery alive in Sheffield and beyond.” Pale Rider, the brewery’s flagship beer, will be poured once again at the Fat Cat on Wednesday, 19 October and will then be delivered to the wider on-trade from week commencing Monday, 24 October.

Tortilla steps up food waste fight with Too Good To Go partnership: Tortilla, the UK’s largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand, has partnered with Too Good To Go, the app that helps tackle food waste by redistributing unsold food items. Through the partnership, all Tortilla restaurants across the UK help to minimise food waste by redistributing surplus food available at the end of each day for Too Good To Go users to purchase at a reduced price. So far in almost three months, 15,000 magic bags have been saved, diverting 15 tonnes of food from landfill and saving 37,500 kilograms of carbon dioxide. This is projected to reach 125 tonnes every year, through the saving of circa 50,000 magic bags. All money raised from the sale of Tortilla magic bags goes into the Tortilla Trust, a new fund created by the group to support its social and environmental impact initiatives. The partnership is the latest major initiative launched in line with Tortilla’s environmental social governance impact report, recently published in recognition of the group’s responsibility and its opportunities to address climate change. Chief executive Richard Morris said: “Doing the right thing and supporting our local communities is a central part of Tortilla’s ethos and being a leader in sustainability will be critical to our future success as the UK’s largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand.” 

North east fish and chip franchise Bell’s plans Seaham opening for sixth site: North east fish and chip franchise Bell’s has revealed plans to open in Seaham as part of its multimillion-pound expansion strategy. The company, led by chef Graham Kennedy, hopes to launch the venue in the spring, bringing its network of outlets across the region to six. The business has secured the lease of the town’s former Barclays, which closed in February, in an off-market deal brokered by agents Bradley Hall. Planning permission is now being sought to change the use of the building at North Terrace into a restaurant and takeaway. The business has sites in Durham, Framwellgate Moor, Gateshead, Gilesgate and Washington.

Experienced pizza chef to open second site: London pizza chef Andrea Ascuiti is to open a second site for his 081 Pizzeria concept. Having launched the concept at Peckham Levels 18 months ago, Ascuiti, who is also one of the founding members of Streatham pizzeria Bravi Ragazzi, is taking residency at The Smugglers Tavern in Fitzrovia from Saturday, 8 October. The restaurant will be in the pub’s upstairs and offer up to 40 covers. The menu will feature up to 16 pizzas, each made with fresh, seasonal ingredients imported from Italy. The venue will also serve “Neapolitan tapas” – a selection of small snacking dishes inspired by Naples such as the “Frittatina” – deep fried Italian mac ‘n’ cheese with minced meat. Drinks will include a selection of ice-cold craft beer by Italian brewers. Ascuiti said: “Over the last decade, London has seen a colossal surge in pizzerias and become somewhat saturated with many different choices. However, at 081 Pizzeria we believe in producing great pizza that is rich in culture and heritage to give people a real sense of story and passion behind the dish. Growing up in Naples, pizza was like a spiritual mindset, and 081 was created with the vision to reimagine the pizza culture in the capital inspired by the legendary Naples. We love the traditional Neapolitan taste but by injecting our own edge and creativity.”

Daish’s Holidays ‘assessing options’ for site of Eastbourne hotel destroyed by fire, remains in ‘good financial position’: Hotel operator Daish’s Holidays has said it is still assessing options for the site of its Eastbourne hotel destroyed by fire three years ago. The Claremont Hotel, a grade II-listed Victorian seafront venue, was demolished following the blaze, caused by a gas leak, in November 2019. The company received an insurance pay-out of £9,650,000, which went towards acquiring further hotels in Eastbourne and Torquay and a coach company in Blackburn, “giving us a strategic foothold in the north west market”. In its accounts for the year ending 30 September 2021, the company said: “We continue to assess options for the Claremont site.” The accounts showed turnover of £14,812,129, compared with £13,367,427 in 2020 and £19,740,065 in 2019. Pre-tax profits were £641,670 in 2021, compared with £3,331,466 and £830,327 in 2019. The 2020 figures include the insurance pay-out, plus £1,168,609 in government grant payments, but also £3,477,470 in costs relating to the fire. The 2021 figures include £3,143,970 in government grants payments, but also £40,959 in costs relating to the fire. The company added: “We continue to increase and upgrade our coach fleet to meet the needs of the extra properties in the group, now with 12 hotels, and this was well supplied with the Robinsons Coaches acquisition. Demand for UK holidays has increased dramatically, and our reputation and quality has allowed for a rapid return to the strong performance we normally expect.” During the pandemic, as well as benefiting from government grants, the group also negotiated capital repayment holidays on term loans and coach leases. “As such, we remain in a good financial position, and we expect to move quickly back to the occupancy rates previously enjoyed,” it added. 

Cycas to operate new aparthotel earmarked for Manchester’s Northern Quarter: European hotel operator Cycas Hospitality is set to operate a new aparthotel earmarked for Manchester's Northern Quarter. Developer Jadebricks has submitted plans for the Larard's Still development, which will be located on the corner of Oldham Street and Spear Street. The existing buildings have been vacant for a number of years and have since fallen into disrepair. The development would include 117 hotel bedrooms alongside a guest lounge, gym and laundry facilities with two independent commercial units on the ground floor. Cycas Hospitality will operate the aparthotel under Accor's Adagio Access brand. Jadebricks managing director Mike Bathurst said: “Since we acquired the site for Larard's Still in 2020, we have been passionate about ensuring the design is respectful to the Northern Quarter and wider Manchester city centre heritage. We're delighted to have submitted our proposals to the city council and we’re keen to push forward with delivering another outstanding development for the city.”

Pizza Hut shuts second Coventry restaurant: Pizza Hut has shut a second restaurant in Coventry. The site at the Arena Shopping Park has closed less than a year following the closure of the Lower Precinct branch in December. Contractors have removied the building signage and were also seen taking old kitchen equipment out of the property, reports Coventry Live. The closure leaves the city with one remaining restaurant at Crosspoint Retail Park in Walsgrave. Pizza Hut has closed a number of restaurants across the UK in recent years including in 2020 when the company announced 29 sites would shut as part of a company voluntary arrangement.

Tim Hortons to open site in Selby next week: Canadian quick service restaurant brand Tim Hortons is to open a site in Selby, North Yorkshire, next week. SK Group, which is leading the rollout of the brand in the UK, is launching the drive-thru at Three Lakes retail park on Thursday, 6 October. Kevin Hydes, chief commercial officer of Tim Hortons in the UK, told York Press: "We know how much our fans in Yorkshire love Tim Hortons so we cannot wait to open in another part of this vibrant region, welcoming guests to Selby for the first time.” Tim Hortons now has circa 60 UK outlets and a further nine “coming soon”. Having first come to Britain in 2017, Tim Hortons has plans for a further circa 20 sites this year.

Larkin Cen confirms October opening for fifth Woky Ko site: Former MasterChef finalist Larkin Cen has confirmed he will open the fifth site for his Asian fusion concept, Woky Ko, next month. Propel reported last month that Cen, who reached the MasterChef final in 2013, was lining up a site in Birmingham for his first Woky Ko outside of Bristol, where he currently operates four sites. The delivery-only offering will now open in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in mid-October, featuring a host of new dishes. Cen, who also featured on this year’s Great British Menu, has devised an authentic Chinese menu including Hong Kong-style bao buns and satay fish balls as well as Sichuan dishes, won tons, Cheung Fun noodle rolls served with fried chicken, braised pork and vegan fried chicken and house-made dandan noodle soup.